Convicted killer to be temporarily freed

The man convicted of murdering a mother in front of her 11-month-old child in his parents' Tauranga home may be freed unsupervised for up to a week while under mental health care.

Jason Butler has been in prison since being convicted of slitting Stephanie Baker's throat in July 1997 in front of their young daughter after she had left the child with him as per custody arrangements.


Stephanie Baker's mother is horrified her murderer could be released for a week, unsupervised.

The Dominion Post revealed this week that some convicted killers who were transferred from jail during life sentences into units for compulsory mental health treatment had been granted leave despite being refused parole, which their victims' families opposed.

Butler is one of those convicted killers.

According to a report by Stuff, the move has horrified her mother Terri O'Dare, whose daughter was a former Whakatane Intermediate student.

She told Stuff that if 'he was well enough to get out and about and have all the privileges, then he just bloody well needs to go back to jail”.

Butler has spent most of his life sentence as a special patient under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic following his conviction.

Terri was unaware that he could be allowed overnight leave.

Special patients could gain overnight leave for up to six nights at a time if approved by the Health Ministry's director of mental health.

'I don't agree with it,” says Terri. 'I think it's bloody well wrong.

'Look how easy it was for that chappie [convicted murderer and paedophile Phillip Smith] to leave the country.”

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9 comments

time for karma

Posted on 11-12-2014 09:22 | By paul

Need i say more ?


.

Posted on 11-12-2014 10:17 | By whatsinaname

words fail me.


Overit

Posted on 11-12-2014 13:37 | By overit

What the ****. This why Society should be worried.


As a generally moderate liberal...

Posted on 11-12-2014 15:50 | By morepork

... this just beggars belief. A person who could do such a thing, never mind doing it in front of a child, and no matter how "sick" they were, cannot be shown such clemency. Until such time as there is a full and complete mental appraisal, his behaviour is observed carefully over a reasonable period of time, and the victims are consulted, there is NO way this person can be allowed freely into civilized society. The trust of the community has to be EARNED and there has to be NO DOUBT that the culprit will NOT do ANYTHING remotely criminal if allowed some latitude. We don't need to flog and torture people any more, but we DO need to ensure the safety of the community at large. Everybody should get a chance to earn a second chance, but the more horrific the crime, the harder that should be.


Experience

Posted on 11-12-2014 17:19 | By sojourner

I have more years of experience with mentally ill people than I care to remember and know one thing for certain and for sure: They do NOT get better and they NEVER change. I suggest the authorities that made this decision, and God knows what else and for who else, be checked for mental illness themselves. They clearly have absolutely no idea of reality and also have zero understanding of mental illness such as what this man apparently suffers from.


OH its the

Posted on 11-12-2014 22:54 | By The Caveman

everybody can be reformed mob again. Just ask them its their family that gets "done over" will they have the same view ? yes! REAH RIGHT - give me another TUI


Eye for an eye!

Posted on 12-12-2014 01:26 | By staytrue

I cant believe he's getting out already. Time has gone so fast, yet it seems like a lifetime ago since Steph was taken from the world. Why the hell should evil be aloud to walk among us??


Kennykiwifruit

Posted on 12-12-2014 13:21 | By Ken Bear

Why are they letting him out ?


DONT DO IT PLEASE

Posted on 16-12-2014 15:40 | By carpedeum

This is ridiculous- P C stuff gone berserk. This man is a real danger- keep him away from us all


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